Stabilicers Give Your Regular Shoes Winter-Ready Steel Cleats

December 17, 2010

Detest putting on an extra-heavy pair of boots just to get around on snow? You don't have to with the Stabilicers, strap-on soles that give your non-winter footwear a stable base even over icy surfaces.

Designed to wear over almost any type of shoe, the attachment lets you trek the snowy streets even without specialty winter boots. Just wind the straps around your favorite kicks, secure the Velcro fasteners and you're good to go.

The Stabilicer is a flexible strap-on sole sporting 34 case-hardened steel cleats to give you no-slip traction through the iciest surfaces. Each cleat can be individually replaced, so you won't have to buy a new pair when any one takes damage -- just tack a new one on and you're back with heavy duty traction.

According to the blurb, these are "more comfortable than creepers or crampons, [offer] more traction than older style grippers or spikys, and longer lasting than grit boots." All that on top of letting you use your spanking new Jordans in the middle of winter. The product page notes that the shoe grips not only perform on snow, but can also be useful for other situations, such as when traversing slippery, moss-covered rocks.

If you'd rather hit the road on your favorite regular hiking shoes than a special pair of winter-only boots, the Stabilicers are just about your best bet. You can get yourself a pair of the cleated add-on soles from Amazon (price will vary, depending on size).